How to Start Your Android Development Journey – 5 Basic Steps

Mateusz BudzarAndroid Developer

If you want to start your adventure as an android developer, but you don’t know how, find out theses 5 basic steps!

First of all, you should buy the most expensive smartphone you will find for at least 1000$… Naaaaaah. I’m just kidding! All you need for now is willingness.

If you are Android and Java beginner, click here. If you already know basics, click here.

3, 2, 1… Go!

It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an advanced developer, from time to time you should read articles mentioned below from cover to cover.

1. Official Android Website

Visit the official Android Developer website. To be honest, it is really important to read the whole website to understand the ecosystem and variety of solutions, ideas, and technologies linked with Android. Obviously, you won’t understand and remember everything, but you will know where to look for in the future.

3. Download Android Studio IDE

If it is a new IDE for you – don’t be afraid. I also started from Eclipse, ‘cause I know it already. One day I installed Android Studio and from that day, I will never install Eclipse again for Android purposes. You know, it’s like in a relationship. Eclipse is your first. You love her but you go to Stanford and she goes to Yale. It’s hard decision to break up but you are so young. You have to think about your future. Bla, bla, bla. You know what I mean. Just download Android Studio, install it, learn how to use it for your glory!

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4. Write some code

It’s time to look a bit at the code and write something. Practice together with a theory is one of the best ways of learning.

Go back to the official Android website and this time go to Develop. There are two the most important sections:

Training – you can find there a lot of helpful examples. Go through all these lessons before you start programming for real.

API Guides – I know it will be hard to go through all these texts, descriptions, examples and so on but it’s worth it. Trust me. This section is very important.

5. Stay up to date

“My lord. I read all these stuff that you had written about. What I should do next?”. “Do not stop”. “What does it mean, my lord?”. “Tell me, are you happy?”. “Yes, my lord”. “And what made you happy?”. “All these sources that you gave me, my lord. I am a better person now”. “Do not stop means then – find other ways to be happy”. “Thank you, my lord. I will”.

Our journey comes to an end. Before I leave I will give you a couple more links:

Fragmented Podcast – Android podcast hosted by Donn Felker and Kaushik Gopal where they are talking about becoming a better Android developer with a lot of very interesting people from the Android world.